AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums Talk Belize Chat Area Bridge

Someone wanted to see what was going on at the cut. Looks like a fine mess :p

wow... backed up traffic, major road construction, cranes... you sure that's not downtown Houston?

What we need is a fundraiser for a street sweeper in town. It would go a long way to reducing upper respiratory ailments.

Finishing the roads in the South end would seem like a higher priority to me. It would be a significant life improvement for all who live on the South end (who vastly outnumber the North end residents, most who don't want a paved road) and for all those who visit.

As far as Journey's End goes I'm betting that if they're smart they've already seen the writing on the wall and have thought about trying to make a deal before one is made for them.

I forward that motion!

I don't think San Pedro will ever be Cancun, which is a good thing, but eventually it probably will be something like Cozumel.

The location of Cancun was selected by computer and created essentially from scratch about 30 years ago, with literally billions of dollars in investment from the Mexican government and from large international developers. The Belize government has invested virtually nothing in San Pedro, and in fact Ambergris Caye is a net exporter of tax revenues to the rest of Belize, and, even today, 99% of investment in San Pedro is from small individual developers.

Cancun City and the tourist zone have a larger population than the entire country of Belize. There are close to 25,000 hotel rooms in Cancun, more than five times the number in all of Belize. The typical hotel in Cancun is about ten times larger than the largest hotel in San Pedro.

Cancun (except right now in the wake of the hurricane) gets about fifteen times as many tourists annually as the entire country of Belize gets.

The fact that even getting to the point of possibly building a bridge across the river channel has taken decades is sorta the living proof that Ambergris Caye will never be Cancun.

On the other hand, Ambergris Caye is becoming more and more like Cozumel. I'd say Ambergris Caye today is quite a bit like Coz 25 years ago. The beaches are similar, the diving and snorkeling are similar, the hotel mix is somewhat similar. Already, San Pedro is getting the cruise ship business that has taken over Coz, and it is starting to get the timeshare and fractional ownership focus that is prevalent now in Coz. It has the same mix of small and mid-size hotels, the same dive/snorkel/beach scene as Coz a couple of decades ago. It'll be a while before the fast-food chains arrive in San Pedro, as they have in Coz, but it will probably happen.

--Lan Sluder

Thanks for picture.....

My ten pence:

Ambergris Caye needs the bridge for the following reasons:

1. The end of that chaos at evening rush hour.
2. It's "Ambergris Caye" not "Ambergris Cayes."

It was one island before some ancient hurricane split it in two.

SIN, you're spot on about the roads. Time to pave.

Lan, you're spot on about this awful government's complete lack of interest in Ambergris Caye. We are probably a 950 percent net exporter of taxes to the rest of Belize. If we could just get invested back into Ambergris Caye 20% of what we send to Belmopan in taxes for a 3 year period purely for infrastructure development we'd have proper roads (all the way down South and all the way North to the dead end at Journeys End), two lovely public primary schools, a well equipped and properly paid police force and probably some left in the kitty for a rainy day.

Lan, once again you need to visit and see the reality here. San Pedro sees very little cruise ship business as it is too far from Belize City. We will never have the daily crowds that Cozumel suffers.

the brightwaters resort,10 miles north of town to my knowledge is getting electrified,does it not follow form,that it requires a right of way for power poles ,which could theoretically provide a right of way for a road to that location and facilitate roads even further north as there is little developement further north, to hinder its progress,every resort from journeys end north would benefit from easy access to their locations.also the old airfield at the northern end could be a great location to fly in tourist and residents alike to reach their homes and resorts from the norther end of the caye.avoiding the congestion in town.any opinions on this thought.

Construction of bridge finally begins!


The Island Newspaper, Ambergris Caye, Belize Vol. 15, No. 44 November 10, 2005


Bridge construction is finally underway, ground has been broken and the project is expected to be complete within three months.

In an effort to make "La Isla Bonita" even more beautiful and accessible, the bridge project is finally under construction, after many years of planning. The newly fabricated bridge will make the lives of many a better one, as there will be easy access to cross to the north side of the island. As a result, the San Pedro Town Council is proud to announce that the bridge project has begun and will be ready for use in the coming months.
According to the Area Representative, Manuel Heredia, "the bridge project is underway and as of Monday, the preliminary work had begun. Although the pre-fabricated bridge has not made its way to the island yet, the structure is said to arrive later this month." It is made up of hot dipped galvanized steel, with a width of 24 feet and spans approximately 120 feet. The new bridge will include a separated path for bicycles and pedestrians. The bridge is also designed to accommodate a number of golf carts on opposite ends. The fee for golf carts crossing will remain in effect and the fee for bicycles crossing will be minimal. All tolls collected will go towards the building costs of the bridge, and once that expense has been paid the proceeds will go to the beautification of the Ambergris Caye.

In the meantime, work has started and the roads have been blocked, but an alternate road that extends around the river is in place and already golf carts and pedestrians crossing can access the road. The community and tourists alike will benefit greatly with the completion of the bridge, as it will no longer delay anyone wishing to cross the cut. According to Heredia, the project, with labor included, is costing a whopping $300,000. Finance for the project is coming from Barry Bowen and will be paid back at a minimal interest rate. On behalf of the Area Representative Manuel Heredia, special thanks goes to Barry Bowen, for without his help none of this would be possible. The completion date of the bridge is uncertain, but the public will be advised on upcoming issues of the San Pedro Sun.